A variety of tool holders are available for holding interchangeable tools used to perform machining operations on workpieces. In some cases, it may be necessary to perform multiple operations simultaneously, using more than one tool, such as clamping and drilling a workpiece. The desired drill is normally loaded into a tool holder which is driven by a rotating spindle, such as those found on multi-axis machining centers, and a separate clamping mechanism is used to clamp the drill to the workpiece and/or to clamp the workpiece to an underlying structure. Some clamping mechanisms may include portions that are required to be positioned between the tool holder and the workpiece, thus requiring a longer drill to reach the workpiece. However, drilling accuracy may suffer when using longer drills because of possible drill run-out and the reduced ability to maintain concentricity of the drill bit relative to target hole locations on the workpiece.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device and a related method that allows both clamping and machining of a workpiece that overcomes the problems discussed above. Embodiments of the disclosure are intended to satisfy this need.